Sandown. I don’t know what your memories of this place are, but I get flashes of sitting on the couch with my parents, talking about the iconic cars and liveries of the past.

One of the single greatest things about this round is sitting around and listening to the inspirations behind the latest paint schemes inspired from years gone by. 

Perhaps it's the Tru-Blu Dick Johnson livery that won the ATCC title in ‘81 and ‘82. It might be the Castrol Perkins Racing Cars and their iconic schemes that continued on through into the times where I started watching car racing and loved to hate Russell Ingall.

One of the coolest things about Sim Racing now is that we have enough years that we can start to put together our own legacy of liveries. This can only happen with the support of long standing drivers and teams within our sport, and as the years continue to tick by, more of those legacies continue to be built.

Evolution Racing Team will be running throwback paints to their earliest generations of cars. One of their earlier schemes featured the first approved “Red Bull” logo in sim racing on board the “Maverick” scheme. Two of the ERT driver pairings will be showcasing this livery, with the Ethan Grigg-Gault and Brad Ryan driven #7, as well as that of Ian Ford and Daniel Hall’s #115 machine.

Retro ERT Hornets livery - Photo Courtesy of Beau Albert

Beau Albert has been there and done it all. Australia’s only multiple iRacing Pro Licence holder got his start with ERT. Since then, he’s taken on the world before returning to where it all began. His Sandown scheme will pay homage to where he first joined the team as one of its “Hornets” drivers in the yellow and black livery. Jake Blackhall will return to the highest echelons of supercars racing to

When you look up and down the grid, there will be some drivers moving towards the ends of their careers and thinking about the legacy they leave, whilst others drive forwards looking to forge their own. 

Last year

Two-Thirds of the championship behind us, the Sandown 500 marks the midpoint of the enduro cup, and the start of the run home for the championship contenders.

161 laps, an iconic venue, and the challenge of driver swaps always earmark this one on the calendar as a race that’s harder to win than most.

Last year James Scott and Shane Van Gisbergen would be one of the faster pairings, only to make contact with other cars several times and end up with penalties that would ruin any chance of an outright victory.

The call that won the race last year was the alternate strategy of Luke Rosella and Harley Haber to put them in position to benefit from a late race caution for fresh tires on Lap 129. They had to get aggressive from here, but they leveraged the tires and reasonable pace they had all day long to be in position when it mattered.

2023 Winners Luke Rosella and Harley Haber

This year

Enduro cup means you have to think about co-drivers, getting their time out of the way at the right time, minimum laps, maximum laps and fatigue management. The last hour of the race from last year exploded into life, incidents and action and it’ll happen again, maybe just not to the same level.

The strategy is such a crucial element of this race. You must clear a minimum of 54 laps per driver, with a maximum consecutive lap count of 65 laps. That makes the target lap for your final driver swap no earlier than lap 97. The big key with this one is if your co-driver starts, you are looking to swap them out at the end of the first stint, to set them up to run to 97. If your main driver starts, their target lap is 43 for their first stint. Fuel range is somewhere around 44-47 depending on saving, so keep your eyes on the guys who do opt for some saving at some point.

Critically with this all in mind, 65 laps is about one and a half stints. This leaves us with 2 awkward half stints to be done for a primary and co driver at some point in the race. If you have a driver pairing with extremely similar or quick pace this opens your options right up to running closer to a 50/50 split, perhaps even doing driver swaps every stint to get yourself completely away from the consecutive lap numbers.

Sandown from a racing perspective is all about pulling the trigger on a move and getting it done quickly. Best overtaking spots are Turn 1 and Turn 9. Both of these opportunities are followed by corners back in the other direction, so getting down the inside is followed by being on the outside for the next turn.

Strategy will be a key factor to the race this year

Ultimately passing takes a speed advantage, or a mistake to set the move up. Keep your eyes on this as the race progresses and drivers become less patient.

Sandown is also a place loved by the drivers, everyone has logged a lot more laps than the bulk of the other tracks on iRacing. Combine this with a short lap, qualifying is set to be the closest of the year.

Experienced heads tend to prevail at these races, so where does my next round of predictions (or commentator’s curses) go?

Jarrad Filsell and Brodie Kostecki

Cameron Dance (Partnering Tyson Broad)

Damon Woods (Partnering Griffin Gardiner)

Harley Haber (Partnering Fawzan El-Nabi)

Expect the order to be shuffled a bit for Sandown too. Enduro’s create this situation with shuffled fields. Jobe Stewart was on for a podium before an incident very late in the race trying to take 2nd last year. Dylan O’Shea took 2nd on track, before a post-race penalty for a Safety Car Procedure breach moved him down the standings. Keep your eyes for odd names to pop to the surface with odd strategies.

The Championship

This battle isn’t going away. Dylan Rudd finally gets the bulk amount of points he needed to keep himself in contention to win the title. Time is now running out to run back down his 94 point lead, but the chasing pack have already done it once!

Dylan Rudd still hangs onto his championship lead heading to Sandown

Andrew Gilliam’s win brings him back into mathematical contention, but requires a very strong finish to keep his hopes alive.

260 Points off the lead is Madison Down now, and his race to the title required podiums at both of last year’s enduro’s. He’s going to need that, and pace to the end of the season to be a remote hope, but it's not done yet and he will fight to the last lap. Of that I have absolutely no doubt.

Qualifying all kicks off from 7pm Friday 30th August when we find out who will drive off into the sunset and potentially divine their own legacy.

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by Scott Rankin

Madison Down came in clutch at Sandown on Friday the 1st of September, delivering a podium alongside Corey Shepherd in a crucial race for the championship title.

Taking full advantage of a difficult night for James Scott, Down Powered his Trans Tasman Racing #77 Commodore to a 3rd place finish, while title Rival Scott battled home to finish in 7th position after contact with the #89 Synergy Sim Racing Commodore of Fawzan El Nabi on lap 58.

Final results from Sandown see yet another swing in an intriguing 2023 championship battle, Madison Down now back into the points lead with a 27 point advantage over James Scott as we head to Mount Panorama Bathurst in under a months time. With everything to play for, it will be interesting to see how both teams fair at Bathurst, with high emphasis put on both primary & co drivers to deliver on race day.

Down will arrive at Bathurst hoping to build on a strong second place finish in the 2022 instalment of the great race, while Scott will look to turn around his Sandown struggles with a strong result.

It’s fair to also point out the success of both co drivers around this venue also, Corey Shepherd proving he can be the difference behind the the wheel of the #77, while Shane Van Gisbergen can bank on his knowledge and expertise around Bathurst, with plenty of success in his Supercars career as well as in the simulator.

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With Round 1 of the 2023 Pro Invitational Series only a matter a days away, we took a deep dive into some of the big hitters to keep an eye out for when the green flag drops at Sebring.

Jarrad Filsell

#1 on the door, Jarrad Filsell returns in 2023 as the defending champion after dominating the 2022 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series. Arguably one of the most intimidating & flamboyant drivers on the grid, there’s no doubting the ability he has to get the job done. Incredible every time he’s behind the wheel, it will take a massive effort for someone to overcome the Filsell juggernaut.

Trans Tasman Racing

TTR undoubtedly are one of the most fierce teams in the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series. Brady Meyers & Madison Down lead the way for the team last season on the wins list with TTR well represented within the top 10 of the championship by seasons end. As a team they are relentless. They love to win and have shown they can do just that time and time again. Never count out a Trans Tasman Racing car. Sebring was a happy hunting ground for TTR in 2022, 2023 will be no different.

Brady Meyers

Not only is Brady Meyers a Sebring winner, But a winning performance at Phillip Island in the final round of the 2022 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series sets him up perfectly heading into the opening round of the 2023 season at Sebring. With runs already on the board at Sebring previously combined with his season ending performance, Meyers will be one of the hot favourites to take out the opening round of the championship.

Andrew Gilliam & Pursuit Sim Racing

On his day, Andrew Gilliam of Pursuit Sim Racing can be on of the best drivers on the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series grid. His talent combined with the experience of the Pursuit Sim Racing team will prove to be vital Not only at Sebring but across the whole season. Returning in 2023 with a larger presence, Pursuit will definitely be looking to make a mark on the 2023 series not only with Gilliam but the whole team.

Jake Burton & Jarrad Filsell

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Using the track

Bell Isle being somewhat the concrete canyon of iracing there is not a lot of room for error. Running the car as close as possible to the walls to open up the corner entry and exits. Overstep the mark and you can find yourself in the wall.

Tyre life

With there being lots of slow speed corners good drive traction and side bite is crucial. set the car up to aggressive and you could find yourself battling to keep the car of the walls.

Strategy

There will be a variety of different strategies on race day but Gaining track position over the competition after the final pit stop will be key for getting a good result at the end of the race.

Traffic

Managing traffic from lapped cars, incidents and lap 1 chaos, will be one to be very mindful of as it could end your race very quickly if caught up in them. car placement is crucial because there is no runoff only concrete walls either side which will make it tricky to navigate through any sorts of traffic.

Qualifying

0x's and cars on slow outlaps will be things to watch out for in qualifying. Setting a banker lap early will make sure you have a time on the board at the end of qualifying and not left with no time from being borked from other cars and getting 0x's from making mistakes and pushing too hard at the end of qualifying

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Its time. We’ve outlived the real-world ZB Commodore by two years, but the time has finally come. 

Originally announced in December 2013, the engine production for the Commodore ceased as of the 20th of October 2017. Whilst the V8 Supercars chassis and engines lived on until the end of the 2022 racing season

The bigger bodied, wider curved rear end of the ZB Commodore has been with us since the Season 1 2020 update (released in December 2019), and whilst I may be a Ford fan, I must admit I feel a very profound sense of loss to see the tail end of the Commodore.

We’ve already crowned our champion, so now all eyes turn to the “Battle for the Bubble”.

The Vermillion eSports driver of Zach Rattray-White will be the centrepiece of this battle yet again. There’s been some brilliant speed across the journey, and the improvement has been a sight to behold, but he’s yet to make a finish inside the top 10 and this will likely be his goal heading into the final round. Consequently, he also would do enough with a top 10 to finish in the automatic qualification spots.

Mathematically only 4 drivers below the cut line are still in contention for qualification, but realistically its a “must win” scenario for both Brenton Hobson and Marcello River who sit on 1288 points. They both are required to outscore all the drivers ahead of them by 116 points, and that’s before we get into the complicated situation should Shawn McNamara and Tom Freer both manage to move their way into being the bubble driver.

Brenton Hobson joins Marcello Rivera as long shots at making the top 20 with only one race to go

The story for McNamara and Freer is a lot easier of a task. McNamara sits 12 points adrift of Rattray-White, and Freer is only 18 further back for a target of 30 points to 20th. Getting into the on track scenarios this looks like 3 spots to tie it up for McNamara and 8 spots for Freer and is likely to be a big focus of the discussions tomorrow night.

Ahead of the bubble and still required to put points on the table sit 7 drivers. Adam Briggs, Josh Anderson, Blake Worboys, Jake Burton are a part of the calculations but realistically just require to hit the 75% marker to put points on the board. Ian Ford is the next driver in the equation and he will require a mid to high 20’s position to lock himself in.

Here’s where we stop looking at drivers that are “all-but” locked in. Beau Albert sits 92 points ahead of the bubble and Jake Moloney is only 38 points ahead of McNamara’s total. 21st is all Beau Albert will require to be locked in for 2025, but Moloney will require a 7th place finish.

I know there’s a lot of data to cover there, but for 2025 it becomes a lot more important than it's ever been. We’ve finally got confirmation we’ll be moving over to the Gen3 chassis, and we begin to encounter the new variables. There’s always a trick to be found with new cars and you don’t want to take a run through the gauntlet of the qualifying series in a new car if it can be avoided.

The picturesque and historic Spa hosts the finale for the 2024 Season

How about the location to bid adieu to the Commodore? We’re off on a spa vacation…. Sorry Circuit de Spa Francorchamps… Bugger, I’d already got my headphones in and put my feet up.

2022 Results

Qualifying  - Marcello Rivera 2.17.498
Race  - Jarrad Filsell
Format  - 39 Laps - 273km

2023 Results

Qualifying  - Jarrad Filsell 2.16.593
Race  -  Jarrad Filsell (post race penalty promoted James Scott to the win)
Format  - 39 Laps - 273km

2024 Format - 35 Laps - 245km

Both races that we’ve run at Spa have finished with winning margins under half a second, which shouldn’t be surprising given the drafting nature of the track.

Last year there was a bit of controversy as Filsell received a 15 second penalty in the opening laps for contact with Brady Meyers for the race lead. He elected not to serve the penalty across the duration of the race in a hope of challenging it post race. That didn’t work out and began a long slide through the remainder of the season that saw him return to the stewards box multiple times, and eventually be forced to the qualification series for this year.

The 3 biggest things about Spa are:

1. Big Lap
2. Big Speeds
3. Big draft trains

There’s so much opportunity to get some fuel saving if you can’t make your way forwards and the front of the field is going to form into its usual draft train aspect. You don’t want to lead early.

From the mid section of the race you’ve got to be position well when the strategy starts to open up.

Stops will start around Lap 13, but you could go very late as well with a lot of ease to catch and pass cars.

As for my predictions? Well… its pretty easy. The guy who’s won the race on the road and has been the fastest driver this year comes in as the favourite. Since we were here last 18 months ago, Jarrad Filsell went on a downhill slide into a redemption year. He’s my pick again just based on his dominance.

I’d be very nervous in Zach Rattray-White’s shoes, and he will know he’s going to have a camera on him all night long. He’s had a fun race already this week where he’s let the hair down and that's probably what he needed to set himself up for a big Wednesday night.

Shawn McNamara has got to pull something out here. The big issue with that is he’s a quiet consistent driver, not one for the big occasion and big performance when it’s required. His pace is still great, but this could be the last time we see him in the Logitech Pro Invitational Series if the younger talent coming through eliminates him from the qualifying series next year.

I’ll see you all Wednesday night for our final race of the season, but I’m not done with content for the year.

We’ll be live as usual from 7.45pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time to send off the Commodore in spectacular fashion.

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by Scott Rankin

Round 2 of the Motorsports Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Series took centre stage around the Phillip Island circuit on Wednesday night with Jarrad Filsell & Jake Burton taking a share of the victory’s.

Qualifying got underway at approximately 7:50pm AEST for a 20 minute session to set the grid for the opening race of the evening. Qualifying was hotly contested amongst the field. Trans Tasman Racing set the pace, locking out the front two rows of the grid with Madison Down leading the way from teammate Jake Moloney. Filsell would line up as the first non TTR driver in 5th position onboard his SSR commodore, followed by Rehan Liyanage from Pursuit Sim Racing close behind in 6th position. With just .214 of a second separating the top ten, it was clear it would be a extremely competitive night of racing.

A clean getaway for Down would ensure he maintained the lead of the race heading into turn 1 on the opening lap with Burton making an excellent jump off the line to slot into second position behind his TTR stablemate. Robert Gibbs was caught in controversy early, finding his way off the circuit on the exit of turn 1 rejoining the track in front of Bradley Rattew who would sustain damage from the incident. Gibbs would later pick up a drive through Penalty for the contact.

Madison Down & Jake Burton continued to control the field early, Jarrad Filsell trailing behind in the final podium place. All would come unstuck for race leader Down shorty after though, finding his way off the circuit in uncharacteristic fashion on entry to the final corner on lap 8, ultimately ruling him out of contention for the race and round victories.

Jarrad Filsell would be the first of the heavy hitters to make his way to pit lane for his compulsory pit stop, followed by Synergy Sim Racing teammate James Scott on the beginning of lap 10. Burton would continue on for a handful of laps, making the call on lap 12 to make his visit to pit lane rejoining into effective 3rd position behind James Scott & leader Jarrad Filsell with little under 12 laps remaining.

Burton set out to make his ground early, making a bold move on James Scott on the beginning of lap 13 on the inside at turn 1. Contact was made sending James into the infield, the contact being deemed a racing incident as Burton set off after race leader Jarrad Filsell.

Further down the order cracks where starting to show, young gun Rehan Liyanage & Dylan O’Shea came together on lap 14, an incident that would make it difficult to recover for the remainder of the night. Moments later, Josh Anderson would find trouble down at Miller Corner, making a trip onto the grass while attempting an overtake on James Scott. Contact insured on Anderson’s re join, finding the rear quarter panel of Luke Rosella, sending him into the barrier on entry to Siberia. Josh would later be penalised for the infringement.

Jake Moloney & Richard Hamstead would be the final drivers to pit, entering the lane on lap 22 handing the lead back over to Jake Burton. Moloney’s masterclass strategy call would see him rejoin in behind burton, charging home to collect a strong second place finish. But it would be Jake Burton taking the honours for the opening race, winning just his second race in the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup. Gilliam would round out the podium in 3rd followed by Brady Meyers in 4th & James Scott close behind in 5th

Winning in race 1 gave Burton an opportunity to capitalise off pole position in race 2 with the progressive grid formats, sharing the front row with Jake Moloney. A difficult getaway for Burton was met with a perfect launch from Filsell, jolting to the lead by the time the pack reached turn 1. Moloney’s hard work was undone early, teammate Brady Meyers finding the rear of his TTR stablemates Mustang into turn one, sending both off the circuit and out of contention for the race victory.

Carnage continued on the run down to Miller Corner, race 1 winner Burton coming into contact with Wayne Bourke, sending the Dr Epoxy SSR Commodore into a spin. Burton would later be met with a penalty for the accident, dropping him down the order for the time being.

Andrew Gilliam capitalised in the early stages, climbing his Pursuit Sim Racing Mustang into contention behind race leader Jarrad Filsell to sit comfortably in 2nd position followed closely by 9ine 5ive SimSports driver Ric Kuznetsov.

Miller Corner again became subject to yet another accident, Rehan Liyanage escorting Bradley Rattew off the road on lap 3. Unable to stop on the grass, he’d find his way into Damien Johnstone, ending what was already a difficult night for the SSR driver.

The opening round of pitstops were the next major timeline across the 23 lap distance. As opening pitstops began, Adam Briggs of Synergy Sim Racing found himself in trouble, an engine expiring on lap 14 entering Siberia bringing out the first and only safety car of the night.

Once the field cleansed, The remaining cars required to complete a compulsory pit stop re joined the field with Jarrad Filsell still holding the lead. Dylan Rudd’s impressive drive forward saw him hold down second, along with Gilliam sitting in 3rd for the re start.

Filsell lead the field away comfortably into turn 1, waiting late to make his jump. As the field approached turn 4 on lap 19, trouble would strike again, Luke Rosella finding his way into the rear of Jake Moloney, sending him into a spin & setting off a chain reaction that saw multiple cars involved. Moloney would manage to rejoin the race, although damaged.

The battle at the front was tight on the closing laps, Filsell continuing to hold down the lead from Dylan Rudd. Ric Kuznetsov climbed his way into third looking strong alongside his 9ine 5ive SimSports teammate as they challenged Filsell for the race victory. Seasoned veteran Filsell held his nerve, holding onto a well fought victory, putting his championship title defence back on track. Rudd & Kuznetsov would follow Filsell home on the podium, a brilliant result for both drivers and their 9ine 5ive SimSport team. Richard Hamstead would come home in 4th, followed by Brady Meyers who rounded out the top 5.

Jarrad Filsell would take the round honours for the Watercraft Performance Centre Phillip Island Super Sprint, setting the tone for his championship fight back. Brady Meyers consistent performances would also see the TTR stalwart climb to the championship lead heading into Spa.

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When we rolled out from Watkins Glen a few new things were in the air and a few questions were to be answered. Was the new damage model going to have the impact we suggested or perhaps the changes to the kerbs would be a bigger impact?

Qualifying came down to the last few moments as Ethan Grigg-Gault would nab pole on his final lap of the session, 1.08.083 being the lap he needed. This would be three quarters of a second slower than last years pole time and that would speak the loudest about the changes to the track conditions.

However, when it came time to fire the beasts down into turn one for the first time, Grigg-Gault would not find the traction at the rear axle he was looking for out of the #7 Evolution Racing Team machine.

Jake Burton would take the lead on lap one and settle into a comfortable rhythm out front, but in behind places would swap regularly inside the top 10.

When you go racing at a track that has the feeling of a high speed street circuit, something is always going to go wrong. Unfortunately for Synergy Sim Racing it was Jordan Ross getting into the barriers, and arriving back on track directly in front of Michael Talijancich. This would double down on the misery for Synergy Sim Racing with “Tally” and Jobe Stewart beginning a new mechanical relationship with SSR prior to this round. Talijancich would retire from the session at the conclusion of lap 1, Ross would attempt to get the car repaired and continue for points.

Lap 5 would make it a trio of SSR worked on cars with issues as Tom Freer would make contact with Brian Borg and find himself in the barriers and with a missing front end, and front wheels.

Jake Burton jumps away from the start to lead into turn 1

The next phase of the race on the restart would kick off an immense amount of “Go slow” battles as fuel games would be the critical part of the midpoint of the race. The entire field had checked off one of the two required compulsory pit stops and this was about shortening the final stop for track position.

Unfortunately for SSR the troubles would continue, but not until lap 24 and 25 when Brenton Hobson would lose all vision from in the server and be parked on the inside of the loop, followed by the #07 of Brady Baldwin in the fence. This would bring out Safety Car number two of the night and the fuel games would kick into overdrive.

Jarrad Filsell would underfill his car slightly to gain the track position, and Jobe Stewart would also opt for a touch less fuel than the bulk of the field to jump to 2nd. James Scott would also elect to add less fuel than those around him and jump from 9th to 6th place in the lane.

The quiet achiever to this point of the race would be Luke Rosella, starting from pit lane all the way to 22nd at the Safety Car restart. Thomas Freeman would also make big gains, from 40th on the grid to 24th at the restart.

Another tame run would commence, some looking to burn the extra fuel and make track position, others being a lot more tame. If you thought this race would settle down, no way, you haven’t been watching the same Logitech Pro Invitational Series I have for 2024 and the race took a huge turn with another SSR car being eliminated through the biggest incident of the night on Lap 48.

Fawzan El-Nabi would try and get to the inside of Scott Gamble at the esses, after a hole was opened by a move from Thomas Freeman at turn one, but El-Nabi would miss the apex of turn 2, tag Gamble and put himself in the fence, ripping a front left off his car in the process. From here he would be a passenger across the grass and back across the track in front of Tao Soerono, tripping up Robert Gibbs and leaving Jacob O’Reilly nowhere to go when he arrived at the crest at speed.

Before the Safety Car could be called Madison Down and Ethan Grigg-Gault would also make contact that would lose both of them a few spots. The spot would be redressed, but the loss of spots would net Down a 5 second penalty that would end up applied to his post-race time.

Jarrad Filsell would be unleashed with 14 laps left to run and from here the fuel games would stop for the first time. The pace and aggression would both somehow find a way to ratchet up another notch with this final run being for all the marbles.

Kurt Stenberg opted for fresh rubber at the final Safety Car and would be the only one of 5 cars to do so and make significant ground. Stenberg left the train from 21st and would drive back to 15th.

The final drama of the night would happen to the Pole Sitter as Ethan Grigg-Gault would continue his lack of luck in the race. He would turn in fractionally too early at the chicane with 2 laps to run, breaking the left front off the car and making for his second retirement of the season, combined with his race finish with a damaged car at Sebring.

No one though would be able to hold a candle to Jarrad Filsell who would make it two race wins on the trot!

Filsell en-route to his second straight race win

Right now the Speedcafe Lobs Esports cars are going from strength to strength, and the big question of the season is going to become “What will it take to stop these guys?”. Jarrad Filsell wants to redeem himself for 2023, and could the circuit where the biggest chunk of the drama from last year become the place where he becomes our championship leader?

Ethan Grigg-Gault has been quick, but unforced errors have been his biggest enemy. Damage in all that transpired at Sebring was not necessarily his fault. Too early on the downshift at Phillip Island certainly was, as was his contact with the barrier with the end in sight at Watkins Glen. Its the 1% ‘ers that are stopping Grigg-Gault from regularly being on the podium and right now see him sitting just inside the qualifying bubble at 19th.

Next time out is Road America and a more traditional Supercars circuit. This will be a place where everyone has a tonne of laps and could lead to a return to the status quo in terms of the pecking order.

As usual, the only way to find out about the action will be to tune in to the race from 7.45pm on July 3rd!

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by Scott Rankin

The Sandown 500 took place last Friday night with much interest as to which team would challenge the all-conquering Lobs Esports squad, and championship runaways of Dylan Rudd, Jarrad Filsell and James Scott.

In the build-up to the annual Sandown 500, it had been confirmed by Lobs Esports that James Scott would have a change in co-driver with Anton Depesquale standing in for Ryan Wood in car #088. Meanwhile, another early season championship contender in Ric Kuznetsov of 9ine5ive Sim Sports would be joined by Brody Sentence, replacing Bradley Rattew in the #888. Talk in the paddock that the Evolution Racing Team had been very fast in the build-up and looked most likely to challenge Lobs esports.

In Qualifying, it was Scott who claimed the pole from 2023 winner Luke Rosella, whilst the rumours proved true about ERT, claiming third, fourth and fifth on the grid ahead of the Filsell/Kostecki car, whilst Interlagos winner, Gilliam was next. Filling out the top 10 were Burton, Gardiner and championship leader, Rudd.  

Rattray-White continued to impress in the Vermillion machine, slotting himself and Faulkner just outside the top 10, their team cars looking well sorted in the lead-up. Meyers, Grigg-Gault and Madison Down would be disappointed in their qualifying, outside the top 10 and making their night a little harder.

James Scott was good enough for Pole in the #088 Commodore

As the race started, the majority of the main drivers took the green flag. It was a relatively clean getaway, but all hell would break loose at turn four, with Brodie Kostecki making a move down the inside on Hayden Veld, resulting in heavy contact with the wall and the #053 rebounding back into the traffic. This resulted in heavy contact with the #06, #47 and #17 , causing many cars to sustain damage and trapping a number of cars on the inside line, meaning the #143, #36, #115, #28, #2 and #72 all had to come to a complete stop and wait for the field to pass before they were able to manoeuvre out of the incident.

At the end of lap one, it was the #55 who led the way, in front of the #088 and #21. Burton had been a huge beneficiary from the lap one incident, now running fourth before a slow down on lap 11 would drop him back to sixth. The Gilliam and Rudd entries quietly made progress. Meanwhile the #94 with Kostecki at the wheel was handed a drive through penalty after contact on the opening lap, hampering their strategy. As battle packs began to form, it became clear that the Lobs and ERT cars were in a league of their own as the race settled down.

It only took 4 turns for the chaos to ensue on Lap 1

On lap 36, the TTR Mustang in the hands of Leigh Ellis would bring out the safety car, nicely fitting into most team's strategies. The vast majority of the field would pit and swap drivers, mostly with the co-drivers now at the wheel.

On the restart, Stanaway at the wheel of the Lobs Esports #55 would lead them away, but it was the TTR duo of Meyers/Warren, Burton/Jones who made progress in the pits and vaulted up the order. Warren at the helm of the #22 caught Depasquale napping in the #088 on the restart and made an authoritive pass down into turn one.

Back further in the pack, drivers were starting to fight for position, whilst their main drivers sat nervously in the garage hoping their car would arrive back at the end of their stint in one piece.

On lap 47, the TTR machine with Ethan Warren the wheel made another great pass into turn one, taking the lead from Stanaway before an error on the following lap saw Stanaway re-take the lead and battle each other into the final corner, resulting in the #55 being spun in front of the field. Further back, Lutzu and Birse were doing a tradesman like job in the #93 and the championship-leading car of the #990.

Strategies were starting to emerge as there were a host of co-drivers that could fulfil their requirements if they short pitted during their stint, and made it to the critical lap 82, when they would hand back to their main drivers for the run home. Other teams with more even car speed between drivers elected to keep their co-drivers in to the end of their stints. The short-stop strategy was more risky between laps 50 and 82, meaning if there was a safety car, it would have not played out well. However, luckily for those teams, no safety cars fell in that time, which meant we were in for a great run home.

Brett Loxton at the wheel of Wayne Bourke's Synergy Sim Racing Commodore

At lap 82, many main drivers got back in their cars, and the race began to take shape, with the #94 of Filsell/Kostecki taking the lead, followed by the TTR #22 and the #088, still in the hands of Depesquale.

Alternative strategies had the Borg/Dyson #017 and the SSR #88 sitting 5th and 6th prior to a major moment in the race where the Lobs Esports championship contender #088 would blow an engine. This would throw strategies up in the air as everyone came down the pit lane, and put their main drivers back in or completed a fuel stop.

This Safety car would re-set the field. And when the dust settled, it was Kostecki #94, Rivera #21, Meyers #22, Gardiner #93 and Rosella #55 filling out the top 5 positions. The #900 had done a fantastic job to this point, sitting well inside the top 10 at the restart. As racing resumed again, three lapped cars sat between second and third place in the train, frustrating Meyers and hampering his ability to go with the #94 and #21 once they went green again. A five second gap opened once Meyers was clear of the lapped cars, but sporting front damage, his car was now vulnerable to the chasing pack of Lobs cars, featuring Gardiner, Rosella and Rudd.

Rosella was able to get past the ailing #22 on lap 117, whilst Rivera was keeping well within fighting distance with leader Kostecki. At this point, Madison Down had struggled all night and was still running outside the top 10, whilst the #900 of Yousiff/Foord continued to impress, running seventh late in the race, just ahead of the also impressive ERT cars of Grigg-Gault, Gibbs and Albert.

Lap 118 was the critical lap where cars could pit and make it home, but would anyone take this early opportunity to complete their pit requirements? Damien Johnstone was the first to take this opportunity on lap 120, but the majority of the field raced on.

A chaotic run to turn 1 at Sandown

With 35 laps to go, the ERT #21 of Rivera pitted, attempting to undercut the leader, Kostecki having to go long as they needed to complete a driver swap, it was beginning to look like their strategy may not pan out. Gardiner finally managed to get past Brady Meyers and started to set off after his teammates of Rosella and Kostecki, at this stage Lobs were running 1st to 4th.

Further back in the field, Dylan O’Shea and Jobe Stewart were battling for position, some of the racing getting the attention of race stewards, Jobe receiving penalties, whilst O’Shea had his progress halted by the battle.

At the front, the race started to heat up. We were all waiting for the strategies to play out and the field to cleanse, and with 23 laps to go, Kostecki arrived in the pits to hand over to Filsell, their driver strategy different to most and dropping them down the order. As the field did cleanse, it was expected that the #55 of Luke Rosella would assume the lead, but a slow stop and contact with his teammate dropped him down the order. Meyers in the TTR machine still doing a great job to stay in contention, effectively still in 3rd position with only 20 laps to go.

But the effective leader was Dylan Rudd from Gardiner. The top two cars had broken a small gap on the chasing pack, Filsell on a charge! With 15 laps to go, Filsell finally managed to get past Meyers, setting off after his teammates, and ripping into the 4 second margin. Race leader Rudd, looked to give up his lead with 14 to go so he could save fuel behind his teammate, and consolidate his championship lead.

The top 10 with 10 laps to go was:

1. Gardiner/Birse
2. Rudd/Lutzu
3. Filsell/Kostecki
4. Meyers/Warren
5. Grigg-Gault/Ryan
6. Rosella/Stanaway
7. Gilliam/Golding
8. Anderson/Rizzo
9. Moloney/Shepherd
10. Down/Liyanage.

With only 7 laps remaining, an incident between O’Shea and Rattray-white claimed an innocent bystander in Jake Burton, capping off a torrid night for the #8 TTR Commodore.

Gibbs applied the pressure to Madison Down to break into the top 10 in the closing stages, whilst Filsell was setting the time sheets alight, slashing the gap to the leaders, he was leaving nothing on the table. The Battle for 6th in the closing stages was still on, Gilliam misplacing his car attempting to pass the ERT #7, almost succumbing to Anderson.

But after 500 kilometres, it was Victory for Gardiner and Birse, their first in the Pro series and finally delivering on his potential. The #93 would lead home a Lobs Esports 1-2-3!

Griffin Gardiner crosses the line in first position

Rudd is firming as championship favourite heading into the final few rounds, getting the upper hand on Filsell with a mature and well deserved 2nd place. Further back, some notable drives from the TTR #22 of Meyers/Warren who have it their all, SSR #89 of Loxton/Bourke, ERT #2 of Gibbs/Caple and others, but it was all about Lobs Esport and their epic stranglehold on this year’s championship!

We move on to Bathurst on only a couple of weeks where Lobs look ominous, but anything can happen at the mountain. Bring it on!

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Its back….The moments before lights out for 2024. Tension builds. Old rivals renew their commitments to being first past the flag. New colours for some, new faces too, but the same old passion, commitment and hard work got these guys here. Time to settle it on the track.

Last year

To sum up 2023 - leading the championship seemed like a curse, the battle for the title was a constant see-saw of multiple drivers getting to the lead, then getting involved in something they probably shouldn’t have.

The enduro’s all of a sudden changed the script. Luke Rosella & Harley Haber drove a masterclass on a night where the Co-Drivers got a real working over. For the first time, I really felt myself asking the question “Are the series’ irregulars going to decide this championship? Could someone employed for 2 rounds a year be a defining factor in a 10 round title?”

Who could forget the final stanza of Bathurst. 1000km of racing condensed into about an 80km sprint. Scott v Down v Meyers. Who could forget?

Then to polish off the season, some made their strategy and rulebook comprehension shown where others failed to do so. Who’s taken that learning in the off season? Who studied up prior to 2024? When the drivers encounter those high, high pressures this year who will be transformed into diamonds, and who will be left standing on the side of the road.

But that's the thing about the past, it doesn't matter anymore and the next result is the only one worth thinking about.

A Bathurst finish worth of the great race in 2023

2024 points of interest

5 Rookies will be making their debut at Round 1:

• Andre Youssif - Altus Esports Australia
• Michael Whiting - Fishy Motorsports
• Connor Nixon - Vermillion Motorsports
• Jacob O’Reilly - Vermillion Motorsports
• Zachary Rattray-White - Vermillion Motorsports

5 drivers previously used in a Co-driver role will also be making their full time debut as well!

First, the obvious point. Vermillion Motorsports has come out of nowhere and put together a well functioning Supercars programme. First attempt and they immediately put 3 drivers straight into the series.

Second, what a start to the year for Jarrad Filsell. Some might look at the Lobs Esports driver as a bit of a villain after multiple trips to the stewards’ office last year. Turning over a new leaf? Maybe…. But maybe being forced down the route of the Qualifying series brought out a renewed energy and vigour. Either way, he’s in form for Round 1, maybe the extra laps have helped to find the hundredths of a second required to be at the front.

Jarrad Filsell swept the 2024 Qualifying Series

Time for some numbers!

3 seasons - 3 starts from Sebring

2022

4 cars covered by less than 6 tenths of a second created a phenomenal finish won by TTR’s Brady Meyers, with TTR teammate Jake Burton running out of fuel within touching distance of a win.
2x TTR cars in the top 4

2023

TTR’s Madison Down and Brady Meyer’s were separated by 4 tenths at the line. 2 years in a row 2 TTR cars in the top 4 separated by 3-4 tenths of a second.

Conclusion? Trans Tasman always get their campaign off to a flying start from Sebring!

Additionally, and for me the key factor, paint has been swapped on the final lap inside the top 10 on both trips to the old American Airfield.

I’d be keeping my eyes out for probably a strong run from the NineFive crew as well. Shawn Mcnamara picked up a golden ticket and Griffin Gardiner was also on song - Qualifying with only 3 rounds from the Qualifying Series.

What about Madison Down? He’ll be here defending his title. He’s won just about every bit of Supercars silverware you possibly can. He won this race last year. Odds on favourite, but not by much. I had to know, what keeps the motivation kicking?

“I’m just competitive. I love the challenge of extracting every last bit of pace and the satisfaction of executing better than anyone else. We all love to win and hate losing so even after 15 years of sim racing I still want to be at the front fighting for wins.”

LOBS Esports is going to be one of those topics that gets discussed a lot - lets look at their driver roster as the team makes their debut.

• James Scott
• Jarrad Filsell
• Dylan Rudd
• Luke Rosella

A number of drivers with a tonne of talent means this team will regularly be competing for wins. Something else to keep in mind is going to be their relationship with some of the best options in terms of potential Co-drivers. We won’t know for certain until we get to Sandown, but there are already rumours circulating this is where Brodie Kostecki will be driving…. Given everything going on for him right now that may not materialise, but keep your mind open and anything can happen.

Something of note is that the LOBS Esports drivers left a very tenuous relationship with Synergy Sim Racing as well. Ultimately that leaves Synergy in a weaker position and means that the target for team Synergy moves down a half step. Could this moving around in the driver and teams market play out on track? When its no longer dealing with a “team car” anything could happen… I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on this as it develops!

With that in mind, its going to be a bumpy ride! Tune in to see all the action from 7.45pm AEDT on Wednesday 13th March as 2024’s Logitech G Pro Invitational gets underway!

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by Scott Rankin

The concept is simple for the newest addition to the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series calendar, on a Wednesday night prior to the biggest race of the year we send all of the codrivers in the Trueforce Enduro Cup into battle for a 32 lap sprint at Bathurst. The prize? A golden ticket that resembles a coveted spot on the 2025 Pro Invitational Series grid. 

With everything to play for and nothing to lose, the night was destined to be action packed from the outset. A strong field of talented codrivers took to the track with a unique opportunity to put their skills on show without all of the main game drivers present. 
 
Qualifying kicked off with style as the favoured names quickly made their way to the pointy end of the timesheets. Early on it was evident that Lobs Esports and Trans Tasman Racing were going to be the main teams to beat with many of the other teams fighting to match their speed over one lap. A slew of unforced errors started to appear as the drivers who are not likely to be qualifying for this weekends Bathurst 1000 showed elements on inexperience under the pressure of a fast paced 20 minute session.

With the chequered flag falling it was Brodie Kostecki on top of the time sheets followed by Rehan Liyanage of TTR, Dylan Birse from Lobs Esports, Corey Shepherd from TTR and Sebastian Varndell from Vermillion Esports in the top 5.

Sensationally, Kostecki would be among a list of drivers served penalties for indiscretions during the session which would see the odds on favourite starting from the back of he grid. Others to be pinged by the stewards included fellow Lobs Esports driver Richie Stanaway and Trans Tasman Racing's Leigh Ellis.

Liyanage leads the field down into turn 1

With the front row now all to himself, Rehan Liyanage secured the Playseat Pole Position and converted a great launch off the line to lead the field into turn one. Just behind, him, Sebastian Varndell undid his tremendous efforts in qualifying to stall the car from 4th on the grid and narrowly avoid being collected by multiple cars as he sat motionless on the main straight, falling to the back of the field.

The first lap was packed with excitement as drivers tried to get up to speed and into a rhythm as quickly as possible with some drivers taking the opportunity to make some early moves and gain some track position. Everything appeared to settle at the front until Liyanage made a tiny mistake at the chase and ran deep under brakes and relinquished the lead to Dylan Birse. 

Lap two proved to be ever more thrilling than the first as Ryan Wood who started 9th made a move at the cutting and jammed up the cars behind of Kobi Williams and Dylan Perera who brilliantly went side by side at Reid Park forcing the #777 wide all the way to McPhillamy Park where Lachlan Caple managed to squeeze past and Seth Brown showed a nose and somehow they all came out the other side unscathed. 

The pace was hot and battles ensued throughout he field. The #94 of Kostecki was on the charge after starting from the back of the field and by lap 6 was already pushing towards the top 20. Contact between himself and Ross Rizzo at Forest Elbow shuffled the #36 down the order and caused a handful of cars to bunch together coming down Conrod Straight, culminating in another incident at the chase which saw Cameron  Jones turning the Fishy Motorsports entry of Michael Angus. Both Jones and Kostecki attracting penalties for their roles in the incidents.

One lap later at the final turn Kyle Stokes made an error and sent Brodie Sentance off the road and earned himself a 10 second penalty which was only worsened 2 laps later when Chad Lewis spun Richie Stanaway at the chase which also collected Stokes and caused significant damage to his Synergy Sim Racing Mustang. 

A huge shunt at the top of the mountain brings out the first safey car

The Logitech G Aston Martin Safety car made it's first appearance of the night on lap 11 after Sebastion Varndell bumped Jamie Stovold at Reid Park and sent the SSR #707 careening into the outside wall in one of the biggest impacts we've seen in the history of the series. Simultaneously Kostecki's night got even worst after yet another incident  at Turn 18 earned him a drive through penalty that he would carry until after the safety car period. In what proved to be a tough lap for Lobs Esports, Dylan Birse who was the race leader seemingly missed the safety car call and failed to head to pit lane and found himself trapped behind the safety car, leading the race but as the only driver in the field who had to still make a stop to get home.

In the pit cycle, Ryan Wood undercut the cars around him in the lane with a shorter stop to jump to provisional race lead with a train to TTR cars behind him in Liyanage, Emily Jones and Corey Shepherd for the restart.

Birse lead away from the green flag and relinquished position to his team mate Wood soon after at turn two but maintained good speed for the next several laps of the race while the lead pack all kept each other in check. The racing throughout the pack largely calmed down as the long run to the finish meant many drivers were managing their fuel and tyres. 

Apart from yet another incident on lap 12 with Kostecki and contact for Eddie Beswick on lap 16 that earned a drive through penalty, the middle stint of the race stayed clean and green until another big accident on lap 22 saw the Safety Car back on the circuit again. Richie Stanaway and Dylan Perera fighting for position on the way to The Cutting ended up with both cars hard into the wall and Tye Delaney the innocent victim who became stranded on track and forced a full course yellow.

Wood and Birse lead the Trans Tasman cars down the mountain

Dylan Birse took the opportunity to come to the lane and take service and joined the queue in position 15 for the restart on fresh tyres for what would be a rapid 9 lap sprint to the finish. However the green flag didn't even last for a single lap as Birse, attempting a desperate move made a mistake at Skyline and sent Brodie Sentance hard into the wall which brought out the safety car again. 

Simultaneously a dramatic twist saw Rehan Liyanage race side by side with Ryan Wood into the chase for the lead and end up in the grass under brakes and deep into the sand trap sending him down the race order at the same time as the safety car was called, ending his chance at racing for the victory.

The restart order with only 6 laps to go had Wood leading with Jones in 2nd, Shepherd 3rd, Lachlan Caple for Evolution Racing Team 4th and Seth Brown for Vermillion Esports rounding out the top 5.

The sprint to the finish was intense with the experienced Jones piling on the pressure to Supercar driver Ryan Wood for the remaining laps. Shepherd sat patiently in 3rd waiting for an opportunity as the top 3 started to pull away from the chasing pack. With 3 laps remaining Jones appeared to have the faster car as Wood continued to defend but as the laps wound down opportunities dried up and Wood was able to hold on for a thrilling victory.

Ryan Wood takes victory and the Golden Ticket to the 2025 Grid

When all was said and done the top ten looked like this:

1. Ryan Wood (Lobs Esports)
2. Emily Jones (TTR)
3. Corey Shepherd (TTR)
4. Brett Loxton (SSR)
5. Rehan Liyanage (TTR)
6. Kenneth Latter (9INE 5IVE Simsports)
7. Brad Ryan (ERT)
8. Chris Coxhead (SSR)
9. Seth Brown (Vermillion Esports)
10. Lachlan Caple (ERT)

The event overall was a thrilling way to kick of the Bathurst 1000 week which is fast become a marquee event of the sim racing calendar. Saturday will feature qualifying, a Porsche Support Race and a Top 15 Shootout while the main event of 161 laps will take place on Sunday.

Make sure to tune in on both days via the ASRG Youtube channel or the Simspeed TV network to catch all of the action!

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Monza in Italy is the next stop on the calendar for the Supercars Pro Invitational Series and despite seeming like a fairly straight forward curcuit, this is one of the toughest to get right in the Supercar. We spoke to Hayden Harrision and asked him for 5 things that he thinks are vital to success in Round 4.

Being in draft

A key aspect to Monza is being in draft with the car in front of you. In qualy scenario this gives you massive gains on your delta down the straights. While in race mode this also helps with your lap time speed but also gives you the opportunity to save fuel as the car in front is punching a hole for you. Less fuel being used equals a longer stint and more variations in strategy on your opponent’s.

Car setup

Monza is known for its long straights which is why I’ve said being in draft is key. Another advantage you can gain from these long straights with your setup is running less rear wing. If you can manage to build a set that still has the desirable amount of downforce for the corners with less wing, you’ll be a rocket down the straight for big moves into the heavy braking zones.

Rear tyre life

The rear tyres will be your best friend at monza. Especially coming out of the tricky turn 1-2 complex. The nicer you protect your tyres coming out of these corners the better you’ll be in the long run with drivers having bad exits due to bad tyre life, their top speed down the end of the straight will be down on yours.

Surviving turn 1

Like every race at every track, everyone fears the lap 1 turn 1 bust ups. Monza is a whole different ball game. A long run into turn 1 leaves the options open for drivers bombing up the inside and causing havoc. Having good race craft in this situation will play key. You can’t win a race into turn 1 but you can definitely lose it.

Mastering the chicanes

Monza is a very easy track to go jumping over curbs in the supercar. There are multiple chicanes around this track that will penalise you massively with a slow down or an off track which will make you drive off pace if you start to rack to many up. Even if you get through these chicanes but are slightly off line this will punish you down the long straights. Making sure you get the car pulled up while using the right amount of curb is key to keep the flow and not letting the car behind gain anymore than what it already gets with its draft.

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After 3 rounds of scintillating action it's time to welcome a new member to the “tracks of the pro series” club. 

Picturesque Circuito de Jerez is located in the wine growing region of Jerez de la Frontera in the South West corner of Spain. Situated halfway between Gibraltar and Seville this mountainous area of Spain is a beautiful summer getaway location just off the Atlantic Ocean.

Temperatures this time of year start to build in the last days of Spring as the venue gets ready to host its round of the Logitech Pro Invitational Series. A Hot destination for hot racing, and a key moment during the series.

Speedcafe Lobs Esports driver Dylan Rudd has just assumed the lead of the championship, after Robbie Gibbs led the opening two rounds, and now has an 8 point margin back to Ric Kuznetsov’s Vermillion Motorsports machine.

However, the pack is coming, and coming fast.

The big key here is the changing Margins and I’ll highlight 8 drivers to really set the tone:

If the entirety of the Lobs Esports outfit have another strong race from Jerez it's very likely that they draw level with the Trans Tasman Drivers of Madison Down and Brady Meyers. That could be critical at this early juncture in the championship and gives them some leeway to have another off round.

On to the track!

It's a tricky little circuit! It has flow, corners that double back on themselves and the critical aspect of setup is the mid corner rotation. The corners are extremely long, and the load on the tire is immense. 

13 corners over a 4.42km lap, 8 to the right and 5 to the left.

Lots of run-off areas means the chances of a safety car go down, and we could end up with 3 races on the trot without one. 

250km of racing across 57 laps. Fuel tank range without saving is going to be 31 Laps, with some saving you could easily extend that out to 33 or beyond. It's a long stint, and it's not likely to happen.

Even stint length is 19 laps, expect undercuts to start from lap 15. If you’re in a big pack and you can’t make ground as the tires wear off (particularly if you’ve been able to look after the tires well).

Keep in the back of your mind whilst watching any car that hangs onto its tires. Why? Better long run pace gives you options. If you fall off on lap time by 0.2s per lap less than another car you can undercut them and not be punished by it.

Whilst on the topic of pit lane, pit entry here is difficult. Going over the white lines on the way in is one of the easier ways to kill a strong result. It's very tight, and on the surface looks simple… Until you get suckered in and have to serve a penalty. I’d expect at least 2 pit entry penalties, could easily be more.

Setup and driving style are basically a flat Phillip Island. Longer corners means setting the car in the mid corner is the focus and trying to drive as straight on the exit as possible on the exit. Drivers are looking to preserve tire in the curved acceleration zones out of the corners and that might be critical.

Corner entries to prioritise lap speed are actually wider than you might expect, that's an invitation to slice down the inside and get a move done. Could this result in a busy night for the stewards? We always hope not, but it is relevant to the racing regardless.

I’ve got Luke Rosella down to finally finish a race cleanly. He has a rear of grid start for multiple driving infringements from Red Bull Ring. Tough season surrounded by a new team and a huge opportunity. I’ll follow his night because driving from the back of the field proves a driver’s mettle. I want to see him tame it down a little, get things back on track and then press forwards again.

Brenton Hobson sits 10th in the points, but has run quiet races. The difficulty for Hobson is he relies on experience and staying clean to finish well. A newer track requires a bulk amount of laps he’s not capable of and I expect a worse finish as a result. Outside 20th, is my call, but if chaos breaks out expect Hobson to be the driver that comes out the other side.

Will Jerez be where we see Brenton Hobson fall down the standings?

Ethan Grigg-Gault is a tricky driver to evaluate. When he’s good he’s winning races. When he’s average he fills out the top 10. Something about this track is just crying out at me that he is on for two podiums in a row. Where he is on the podium I am very unsure about.

James Scott and Jarrad Filsell should be talked about as a compare and contrast situation. Scott is Mr Qualifying at the moment and his races reflect his outright speed, but also a free track around him. We are yet to see him in a cluster of cars and making his way through. How he handles that will define his season.

Filsell on the other hand is Mr Race Pace. Rear of the field to front at Sebring before the race exploded, P2 at Phillip Island from pole (arguably his worst drive of the season), and
Red Bull Ring he was on a charge, fastest stint pace in the field whilst making overtakes. Supremely impressive, honestly at this stage I have him down to win the title, but boy is it going to be tight!

Do they round out the podium? Maybe. Trans Tasman’s pace at Phillip Island was better and that's our best judge for pace. One of this pair on the podium, the other inside the top 5.

Andrew Gilliam is my pick to be the outside threat. His strategy gamble at Red Bull Ring paid off and he improved his race at the cost of middle stint pace. He’ll do something different again for sure! I’d love to see another Gilliam podium, but that's a brave call. I’ll back him in this week though, 3rd it is!

Who are your driver’s you want to watch? Is there someone I haven’t mentioned?

Hit up the comments, I’ll be keeping an eye on this one and will keep a closer eye on your picks!

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by Scott Rankin

As we head to Austria at the Red Bull Ring for Round 3 of the Championship the drivers return to the wide open spaces and away from the ultra technical Winton Raceway. It's the first look at a "Grand Prix" circuit for the teams this season and that alone provides it's own set of challenges when driving the Supercar. We spoke to Jake Burton and asked him for 5 things that he thinks are vital to success in Round 3.

1. Braking

One of the unique factors of this track is the lack of complex corners. Just about every corner here is a long straight, followed by a tight corner and another long straight. As a result, every meter you can shorten your braking zone is worth so much here. You approach each zone with such a high speed that the initial brake application has to be super aggressive, and ensure you trail off before you make the tight turn-ins.

2. Defensive Racecraft

Being a wide track with long straights leading into long braking zones, your opponents have so many opportunities to use the draft and put a high percentage move on you.
Something to also consider, is the majority of passing spots here have a corner turning the same direction immediately afterwards. A proper defense here involves timing your shift to a defensive line, ensuring you don’t make the next corner too tight, and then parking the bus as hard as you can to ensure they don’t get an over-under on you.

3. Fuel Saving

This track is really easy to fuel save on. It has an extremely high full throttle percentage, and many long straights with powerful draft. As a result, if you aren’t fuel saving in traffic, you’re guaranteed to lose time in the pits.

4. The exit of Turn 1

Turn 1 is probably one of the most difficult corners to get right that I have ever driven in the Supercar. It’s tight, uphill, and leads onto the tracks longest straight. It’s the ultimate balance between picking the right brake marker, timing your turn in, using just the right amount of curb, and running just wide enough to not invalidate your lap time. Cut the curb too much, you lose drive on corner exit. Don’t cut the curb enough, you end up pushing wide and praying the outside curb will be the berm that keeps you on the road. When you get it right, it feels phenomenal.

5. The pit lane entry

Without question one of the hardest pit lane entries of any track we visit. On the way in, it’s a right hand entry parked right in the middle of two high speed right handers. The risk level is high, as you’ve got to cross the track and brake from the racing line. If you’ve got a car right up your backside, it can really affect when you choose to pit.

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With the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup underway, the series turns its focus to Europe for the first time this season, as we journey across the seas to one of the most formidable circuits in the world, Spa-Francorchamps.

Located in Stavelot, Belgium, the Spa-Francorchamps circuit was first opened in August of 1921, establishing a 14.982 25 turn circuit consisting of public roads through the local townships of Francorchamps, Malmedy & Stavelot creating an incredibly fast, exhilarating experience for all drivers who were willing to conquer it. The circuit has undergone considerable changes in the post war era, now established as a permanent 7.004 kilometre circuit consisting of 20 corners including the famous Eau Rouge, Raidillon & Blanchimont corners.

This week, championship leader and TTR stalwart Jake Burton takes us through what it takes to master one of the most demanding circuits on the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup calendar.

1. Setting a valid Qualifying Lap

Across a lap at Spa there are so many places where you’re penalized for exceeding track limits. There are sizable gains at La Source, Eau Rouge, No Name, Pouhon, Stavelot and Blanchimont in opening the steering and exceeding the track limits, but doing so in qualifying will invalidate your lap. Such a long lap means you won’t get many opportunities to set a time, so ensuring you do a fast lap but importantly, a clean lap, will prevent a disaster in qualifying.

2. Striking a balance with wing angle

Across the last 12 months, we’ve seen many drivers and teams starting to play with rear wing angle to develop a straight line advantage in their setup. Spa has many long straights where you could certainly benefit from running a low-drag setup, but also has many high load corners such as Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont where you want maximum downforce. Finding the ‘sweet spot’ between drag and downforce will be critical to developing a fast but agile racecar around this track.

3. Using the draft

There is a huge gain to be found at Spa in tow. Up to 0.5 seconds in qualifying, which can mean the difference between mid pack and the front. It’s difficult to balance however, as in some of the faster corners later in the lap, being too close to the car in front creates huge aero-wash. The drivers who maximize the use of the tow, will be the ones who leave enough gap to not catch the car in front, but also not too far so there is no tow benefit. You also need to depend on the car you’re following being fast enough to pull you along and not make any mistakes - this will benefit larger teams.

4. Fuel saving

With so many long straights and braking zones, accompanied with a strong tow from the draft, fuel saving will play a big element in this race. Don’t be surprised if you see drivers not wanting to lead early in the race, as the draft is too powerful to drive away, and punching a hole for everyone else will just leave you swamped when it’s time to pit. It’s also critical that if you save fuel the whole race, you take enough to drive home from your last stop at full tilt. This is an easy way to get caught out and one that I’ve learned the hard way.

5. Defense

When it gets to the last few laps of the race, the draft is so strong that it’s pretty easy to pass even if you’ve got worse tyres and less pace. If you’re leading the train you’ve got to be ready to put your car in the right place and pull other people up at the apex and stop them from getting an overlap on the inside. It’s so easy to lose 2-3 spots in one corner by getting freight trained due to the long corners at this track, so not letting anyone get past will be key in the dying stages.

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After a action packed round in Sebring, Florida, The Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup returns to Australia for the Watercraft Performance Centre Phillip Island Super Sprint set to be held on the 19th of April.

The 4.5 Kilometre precinct is located in Victoria, roughly two hours south of Melbourne. It is one of the premier racing circuits in Australia, notably known for its presence on the Moto GP calendar.

This week, Sebring podium finisher & Synergy Sim Racing stalwart James Scott, takes us through his key points of interest around the Phillip Island circuit ahead of the Watercraft Performance Centre Phillip Island super sprint.

1. Tyre degradation

With Phillip Island known for its extreme tyre wear, it will be imperative to ensure your car is well balanced for the entire race so you don't fall back through the pack late in the race.

2. Qualifying

With there being 2 sprint races, there is a greater emphasis on securing a good qualifying position for both races as passing can prove difficult at Phillip Island.

3. Strategy

With tyre degradation quite high, that comes with the undercut becoming very powerful. Ensuring that you time your pitstop correctly to gain time on your competitors will be crucial but pit to early and you could leave yourself exposed on old tyres in the later stages of the races.

4. Lap 1 Miller Corner

With Phillip Islans being a fast and flowing circuit and high speed, it can lead to a chaotic first few laps of the race at the 2 slowest corners on the track being miller corner and MG. Whilst you can't win the race at either of these corners in the first few laps, you can certainly lose it.

5. Draft

Phillip Island has in recent times become a very draft dependent circuit with it being easy to keep up with the cars in front even if your outright pace is slightly off your competitors. Whilst the draft is very powerful, it doesn't always lead to easy overtaking as the aero wash behind other cars can affect your exits onto the straights. Being authoritive and precise with your passes is key.

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Hockenheim marks the sixth destination on the 2022 Supercars Pro Invitational calendar and is also the last stop for the series before commencing the Enduro Cup. Subsequently it is a critical opportunity for drivers to score points and we talked to TTR / Team Cooldrive Racing driver Josh Anderson about some of the key factors for succeeding at one of the most historic venues of the season.

Driver Finesse:

Hockenheim is an interesting circuit and to win a race there, I think there a several key factors that you must consider. It's a track that is extremely technical and requires the driver to finesse the car to be fast around here, both on one lap and over a longer run. 

Aero:

Like many of the Grand Prix circuits on the iRacing platform, the long radius corners require the driver to utilise the downforce that the car generates. It is often beneficial to run a bit of extra wing here in race trim to help look after the rear tyres in those corners.

Braking:

Braking is also a critical element that must be mastered in order to win at Hockenheim.
Both hairpins requires you to be aggressive on the initial application, and then very precise trail braking so you don’t pinch the unloaded front tyre. Precision is critical as even a variance of 5% can turn a good lap into a poor one with a lockup.

Turn 1:

Sector 1 consists of the fast turn 1 heading into a short straight and an acute right handed into a fast left hander leading onto the back straight. At turn 1, the V8 you can take a bit of the inside kerb to help rotate the car, as there is a nasty off track on the exit.

Throttle Control:

Turn 2-3 require the driver to slow the car down efficiently, with smooth throttle control critical to hold the slide on the direction change exiting Turn 2. This is a very important sector of the lap and one that’s critical to get right in order to do a fast lap time.

All in all, Hockenheim is a difficult track, but one that is satisfying when you put it together. I’m looking forward to racing there in the Logitech G Supercar Pro Invitational series.

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The Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup will head back to Europe as we turn the corner for the run home in the 2023 championship. On the 19th of July, we go racing for round 6 of the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup at Red Bull Ring.

Having featured on the calendar in 2022, Red Bull Ring makes a return in 2023 with drivers set to tackle the 10 corner 4.318km circuit on the 19th of July for 60 laps of close quarters racing.

Originally founded as Österreichring, it was built as a replacement for the Zeltweg Airfield Circuit in 1969. Situated in the Styrian Mountains, The Österreichring Circuit visually was one of the most spectacular & challenging circuits for drivers, providing fast flowing sweeping corners, consisting of elevation changes throughout the lap.

Österreichring would host the Austrian Gran Prix from 1970 through to 1987, before being shorted, rebuilt & re named to the A1-Ring, hosting the Austrian Grand Prix from 1997 to 2003.

When Formula One outgrew the Österreichring circuit, plans where drawn up to extend the layout. Multiple Parts of the circuit, including the pit lane section & main grandstand, were demolished. Construction work was eventually halted & the circuit remained unusable for several years before it was purchased by Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz, rebuilt and reopened on 15 May 2011 before re establishing itself on the Formula One calendar in 2014.

2022 Red Bull Ring Broadcast Replay

With V8 thunder set to light up the Red Bull Ring virtually for a second consecutive year, all eyes will be fixed on the championship battle that has evolved over the course of the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup.

Trans Tasman Racing’s Jake Burton is the man drivers are chasing, currently leading the championship after an entertaining victory at the Watkins Glen Sprint. Burton’s emphatic victory sees him 24 points in the clear of James Scott heading into the 6th round of the championship.

For James Scott, a strategy blunder for Synergy Sim Racing at Watkins Glen saw the driver of the #088 Commodore forced to salvage a top 10 result after dominating the early stages of the race. With this in mind, Synergy Sim Racing & James Scott will look for a mistake free race with hopes of standing on the top step at the conclusion of the 60 lap event.

It won’t come easy for either driver though, as you can never discount Madison Down. Only 38 points back, Down has been on the claw back since a difficult round or Phillip Island, which saw the Trans Tasman Racing stalwart off the circuit through turn 12, ending what looked like a positive night for the #77 Commodore. Now back on track with strong results, Madison will definitely be looking to make a dent in the points deficit at the Red Bull Ring.

Although these 3 drivers are leading the title fight, it’s hard to discount Jarrad Filsell. A season of what could of been, Filsell has nothing to loose for the remainder of the championship, a podium in 2022 at this very event firmly putting him in the conversation for top honours in 2023.

It’s fair to note a number of drivers who are showing a turn of speed at the currently, drivers such as Bradley Rattew, Thomas Freeman & Dylan Rudd all showing they have the potential to get amongst the action at the front of the field.

Another talking point is the form of Jordan Ross. The SSR driver suffering from difficulties throughout his 2023 campaign to date. Ross will look to turn things around at Red Bull Ring, the same circuit he scored his only podium in the 2022 championship.

Jordan Ross will be looking to return to form at Red Bull Ring

It’s fair to say, July 19 will provide another action packed round of racing as drivers search for results as the season begins to take shape.

Who will come out on top at Red Bull Ring? Will it be Jake Burton? James Scott? Or will the likes of Madison Down or Jarrad Filsell deliver a blow to the championship fight?

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I know I probably say and sound like it every single time, but, this next race has got some real potential to it.

A couple of key points heading into Watkins were kerb changes and the new damage model. They’re both still here, relevant, and everywhere you look in sim racing at the moment, however, the big kicker is the team shuffling.

When you rewind back to the start of the year, the thought I kept coming to was “this isn’t done yet”.

Someone’s dealt out a new hand in the driver shuffle and it's going to take another few months to settle down and resolve itself again.

Well, enough about that we’re off to Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin!

You only have to look back to the tail end of last year to see how this place really changed the outcome of the championship. Great rulebook and strategy awareness of the Trans Tasman Racing outfit hammered home a super strong result that put Madison Down into a nearly unassailable position. There was so much more drama that bubbled under the surface on that night, and it led to the formation of the Lobs Esports drivers that now are driving out of their skins.

Trans Tasman Racing mastered the strategy here in 2023

Road America as a venue though has been so critical to deciding championships over the long history of Australian V8 Supercar Sim Racing. Historically it plays host to our Grand Final and is thought of by the drivers with the same amount of significance.

The best part about this circuit is the fact you cannot have a car that is great in all areas. You’re either going to run a bit more wing and stability and look for long run speed, as well as consistency through the carousel and the kink and lose that little bit of an edge in a straight line, or you are going to trim the car right out and look for the straight line edge yet again.

If you look at the difference in our biggest teams and the way they approach their car setups, there’s some divergent takes on best balance. Lobs Esports have tended to take the “go fast and pass em on the straights” approach, Trans Tasman are phenomenal in the high downforce sections, and Synergy Sim Racing handle the bumps and mechanical grip sections really well. Keep all those tips in mind as you watch the progression.

This race has a bit of overtaking, a large amount of strategy, a little bit of safety car potential to just change something somewhere. One of the better parts of the Formula 1 race from over the weekend was the change to bring gravel and consequences back into play, well Road America only has run off room in two places, and not a lot of room for error anywhere else. Touch the grass at the kink on the back straight and all of a sudden it's just about keeping the car out of the fence.

Lobs Esports drivers were very quick in qualifying last year, Filsell took pole by two tenths of a second on a very cold track. Grip was super high for both qualifying and the start, and similar conditions are on the cards for this year. I expect the track to be a touch higher to start and continue to climb throughout the race. Drivers who have a good cold track car and are going to potentially struggle to hold onto their tires and striking a balance is going to be key.

I’m going to predict that the New Damage Model’s effects haven’t settled as yet and everyone is still adjusting, bringing the Safety Car into play. Fuel burn is going to be right around a 23 lap tank, and with saving could see this extended to 25 at the most, further than that and you are really going to struggle for the lap time and to hold position.

Expect tire fall off and wear to be around one second for every 10 laps, and another key point in the strategy game is if we end up with a long run to the end of your race the Safety Car chance drops off as everyone moves into conservation mode and stops racing as hard.

Zachary Rattray-White now leads the way for Vermillion Esports

Form guide suggests again to pick a Lobs driver to win, but I think this is going to be a lot closer than people think. Timing of the strategy and the smartest heads in the room could be a bigger factor, and this race comes down to having a fast car and the best race brains to match!

I’m also a bit worried about the Evolution Racing Team driver Ethan Grigg-Gault. If this was a game of tennis he’d have lost the match by now just on his amount of unforced errors. Its extremely out of character for him and I just wonder if something else isn’t going on. He’s now got two DNF’s combined with a finish with a damaged car back at Sebring. He sits 19th in points and still in contention for an automatic qualifying spot for next year, but I don’t think he can get away with another error of his own making. For me he’s just got to take points this week, and probably every week to the end of the championship, but Ethan’s also not the kind of driver to just have a quiet finish if he can have a win instead.

Righto, Voodoo magic time! We’ve cursed people just about every race this series and this could be another one.

Well who did we curse this time? Who are your predictions for Road America?

Feel free to hit me up on social media or discord, I want to hear from our fans!!!

See you all Wednesday night!

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by Scott Rankin

How it all stacks up leading into Round 1. Who is in the best form and who might be capable of a surprise upset result on the bumpy streets of Sebring.

Leading into the first round of a new championship there are always a lot of unknowns to contend with. But thankfully, the grid of drivers who are set to tackle the streets of Sebring in only a couple of weeks time have largely been active throughout various other leagues and competitions which allows us to get a pretty good form guide coming in.

Jarrad Filsell #94

Madison Down #77

Ethan Grigg Gault #177

Andrew Gilliam #201

Josh Anderson #36

Brodie Kostecki #99

Jackson Souslin-Harlow #15

Jake Burton #8

Richard Hamstead #28

Wayne Bourke #89

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Located North of Braselton, Georgia, sits the exciting 4.088 kilometre circuit of Road Atlanta, which will play host to the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup season finale for the first time.

Opened in 1970, the 12 corner precinct has played host to a number of national categories, including the Nascar Xfiniity Series, Can-Am & SCCA runoffs with series like IMSA & Trans Am America racing their in more recent times.

As we cross the pond to finish 2023, we can not think of a better setting to crown our champion.

The picture is simple, Madison Down of Trans Tasman Racing leads the overall championship, with a 67 point lead over Synergy Sim Racing’s James Scott. With An excellent season to date, Down has put together a consistency masterclass, giving himself the advantage heading into Road Atlanta. For Scott, he will be hoping to put his best foot forward in the final round of the 2023 season, with the hopes he can claw back the deficit on Wednesday night.

Don’t forget about Brady Meyers either, only 136 points away from the championship lead. He well and truely can still be in contention at the conclusion of this championship to steal the crown.

45 of the best Australian Drivers will be faced with a gruelling 43 lap event consisting of 2 compulsory pit stops to be served over the race distance. With plenty of action still to come to round out 2023, who do you think will steal the crown?

Can Madison Down hang on and convert his epic championship campaign into a title? Or can James Scott pull off the great escape and win the championship? Or will the dark horse Brady Meyers shock the system and run away with the chocolates?

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